The Man in the Black Trenchoat
by Adian Black
Summary: With the events of the series far in the past, Vash still travels the world. But now our hero has an even deeper scar on his heart, one that has changed him from the fun loving protector of others, to a shadowed soul with no care for anything or anyone.
1. Chapter 1

The Man in the Black Trenchcoat Part 1.

Well, this is my first fanfic, so I hope you all like this first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Trigun series, neither the Anime (which this is based on), nor the manga.

On a hot, dusty planet in the endless expanse of space sits a tiny bar in a tiny town. It's a day like any other; the men from the mines come in for their evening drinks while the local piano player fills the room with a calming melody. A day like all the others that is, until a tall dark figure passes through the door.

The figure enters slowly, his dark black coat soaking up the light around him as if it were made from shadows. Long blond hair falls down around his face, faded from the sand and sorrow, while the solemn expression he wears is clearly visible even through the blood red glasses that cover his eyes. He steps towards the bar and without a word he takes a seat.

"Welcome to Harry's" shouts the barkeep, "Have a seat and have a drink, first ones always on the house!"

"I'll just have a water for now thanks" answers the man, "Oh wait,you wouldn't happen to have any donuts would you?"

"Nope, just the liquor and the laughs I'm afraid. So what brings you to our little town, don't believe I've seen you around before."

"Nothing really," the stranger quietly replies, "Just a traveler."

"Well everyone's got a name, mine's Harry what's yours?"

In distant voice the man speaks, "My name? Oh my name; its……..not really important."

"Fair enough, if you need anything just holler!"

"Thanks, I will" replies the man. He sits at the bar slowly drinking in the water and the scene, all around him people laugh and drink enjoying the tales of day."_Back then," _he thinks, "_back then we used to laugh like this, we used to be so loud...always causing trouble. I'dact drunk, and then she'd yell at me. I wonder, would she yell at me now? Would she say 'Stop pouting like this, it wont get any better if you stay this way'. Even still, I dont want it to getbetter I dont want to forget."_

"Daaaaddyyy!" a small voice cries as a young boy bursts into the bar and runs to a man in the back. "You're late! You have totell me my bedtime story!"

"Oh is it that late already?" exclaims the boy's father, "Well I'll be home in a little while, daddy would really like to relax a bit more."

"NOooo, you promised," cries the boy "you said you'd tell me my favorite story tonight!"

"Ok, ok," says the father as he stands to leave, "what story would you like to hear?"

" I wanna hear my favorite story," begs the boy as he drags his fatherout the door "tell me about hole in the fifth moon!"

Suddenly,a cup hits the floor and shatters causing the patrons to spin around and stare.The unnamed man sits above it, a look of terror and sadness on his face. At first he sits there, unmoving and it seems without breathing. Then as if woken from a dream he shake his head slightly and returns to life. "Forgive me, I'll pay for the cup," he says as he stands, leaves some money on the bar, and walks out.

"What was that about?" Harry muses as he collects the change.

"Forget the weirdo, where's our drinks!" a voice yells from the back.

"All right, all right!"

Outside the stranger walks down the road lost in thought; "_I...I can't ever get away can I? Despite my strength, or my skill, I'm forever tied to my past. The past...a record of my fated existence, frought with the pain and suffering of those I love. I'm no hero, neither for love or for peace. Despite all that I did..."_

_"I...I couldn't save her..."_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Trigun, neither the Anime (which this is based on) nor the manga.

**(Sorry its been so long since ch.1, I just didn't have any inspiration till now.)**

"_You can't fight time, you know," An tall old woman stood in the middle of a dusty road yelling at a young blond haired man, "Don't you think we're all sad, don't you think we're hurt just as much!"_

"_You weren't there," the man replied. "You didn't watch her go, didn't see her cry…"_

Startled, the young man woke up. The argument in the street was just a dream. He walked to the window glancing outside then crossed the small room to the closet. He opened the closet revealing a long black coat, and a pair of blood red glasses. "Dreams," said the man. "Dreams are now all that is left of them, left of Her."

Walking down the stairs he caught the attention of the hotel staff. "Checking out sir?" Chirped the upbeat attendant in the main hall. "Yes, I'll be leaving now," Said the black-cloaked man. The attendant chirped back "Well it's been a pleasure having you Sir, please come again!"

Stepping into the sunlight, he gazed upon the happy world around him, children played in the streets, wives and mothers gathered groceries for the evening meals, and a hundred other people milled about their various tasks. Conversely, the man appeared the picture of gloom as he walked down the street. Oblivious to the world around him, so much so that he didn't see the young man approach from behind. "I've found you!" A voice cried.

His name was Arlend Freyer. He was not a particularly strong individual, nor was he smart, but he had a knack for finding things others couldn't. That's what led him into bounty hunting in the first place. Recently He had been obsessed with a particularly large bounty, one no one thought possible. He felt it the perfect test of his "ability" as he called it, instead of what everyone else called it, "luck". Yet this bounty was legendary, more than 60 billion double dollars by now, and he couldn't pass it up.

"I've found you!" He cried again. By now the people of the town had begun to gather, trying to see why and to whom this young man was shouting. "They said you had to be dead by now, but I found you!" "I mean, just imagine that. The legendary Humanoid Typhoon himself, Vash the Stampede, just walking around all on his lonesome." The young bounty hunter drew his gun and pointed it square in the center of the dark black shape in front of him. "Bet you're wondering how I knew it was you eh, how I found you? Well if you'll just come along quietly maybe I'll…"

The gunshot rang loudly throughout the town, and just like that, Arlend Freyer was finished. He seemed startled at first, dropping his gun and looking down at the wound in his chest. It seemed to some who were there that he didn't realize he was dead until a few seconds after. But soon enough he fell to the dust. The town fell silent and the only sound to be heard was the sound of the humanoid typhoon quietly leaving town.

_"Vash, Vash come quick, She's calling for you Vash!…"_

Slowly Vash's eyes opened, bringing into sharp focus the harsh desert landscape around him. The fire he had built was nothing more than ash and the harsh sun was already pounding down upon him. "I'd better get moving I suppose," He said in a sullen sleepy voice. He packed up his things and headed south, it was almost that time of the year, time to visit a certain town. "I'll be there soon," he breathed "… New July."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Trigun, neither the Anime (which this is based on) nor the manga.

**(Again I apologize for the late arrival of this next chapter...seems to be the standard I guess. Also you may notice the change from past to present tense, this is mainly because it started to get annoying lol.)**

"He'll be there soon ma'Lord," an old raspy voice echoed in a deep cave. "And the men are ready, what would you have us do?" From even deeper in the cave, seemingly from the core itself, a dark deep voice answered, "Show him… show him….the true meaning of his existence. Let him know the pain of our bloodline, the pain we've felt since our fathers time…"

2 weeks later...

In the middle of the vast lonely desert sits a town, New July, near this town lies a cliff, and on this cliff a man stands alone. The sound of a radio crackling brings the mans hand to his hip, where he grabs a small walki-talkie, "hssss...In...sss..sition...hssss...ssAre you in position?" Pressing down on the small button to the side of the speaker the man replies, " Yeah, I can see him now. He's walkin' down the middle of the street like some damn wraith. Man I can't wait to kill this guy." The radio hisses back, "NO! ..sss...That is...sss..not your mission Malcolm..hsss...s..You know your job..hss...now get to work." Holstering the radio Malcolm steps off the cliff and falls down to the ground far below, landing as if it were nothing more than a single step. "Whatever, now or later, he's going down anyway..."

Walking along the dusty roads of New July, Vash is absorbed in his own mind. _"I'm here again. Back to where I lost her...where I failed her._" He wanders as he thinks, passing shops and homes, finally stopping in front of a set of large iron gates. Slowly he turns his head and places his hands on the bars in front of him. He pauses for a moment, staring through the fence, "_This is your home now, this is where you sleep now._" He pushes the old gates apart with a loud creak, and walks inside. Walking down the paved lanes he gazes at the graves lining the path and memories flow back into his mind.

_ Hey Vash, come on! Were gonna be late, Millie's waiting for us! Fine, if you won't hurry I'll just..cough, COUGH.._

_ "--------"_

_ cough...No, no it's ok I'm fine...don't worry..._

Vash shakes his head to clear the memories from his eyes, and continues on down the small dirt path leading away from the main plots. The path leads down and over a few hills and into a small grove. Wading through the trees Vash comes upon his destination, a small clearing with an even smaller stone monument in its center. On the monument is a name that brings the memories back whether he wants them or not...

_ COUGH, COUGH please ... its just a cold I'll be ... I'll be fine..._

_ "--------"_

_ hey now ... I'm not that old ... just...need..some cough time to rest..._

Falling to his knees the tears flow freely as bouquet of flowers falls from his hand and rolls to the front of the grave...

_ I'm ... I'm sorry Vash ... I wanted to stay with you a little longer..._

_ "--------"_

_ No ... cough... its not your fault ... don't, don't cry or I'll start to... _

_ Please ... just remember...I love you..._

The memories consume him and he falls to his hands as his heart cries out. Though his tears blur his eyes, he can still read the plaque on the gravestone...

-Here lies our good friend and loved one-

-Rest in peace love, we shall remember you-

--Meryl Stryfe--


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Trigun, neither the Anime (which this is based on) nor the manga.

**(Again, I apologize for the late update, it's been a long time since I watched Trigun and it's hard for me to set stuff up with limited knowledge. Not to mention, fights are hard to describe lol. Thanx again for your patience :D)**

hsss...ss...en...ge...engage the target...sssss...

In the sanctuary of the grove, Vash is consumed by the sorrow of his past.

He pushed everyone away after Meryl died no longer confidant he could protect them. He blamed himself for her death, and though they tried no one could persuade him otherwise. Her death had been the last nail in the coffin of his happiness. The loss of what seemed like peace at last drove him over the edge. With his love gone and hope destroyed he wandered the planet seeking only solitude. But no man, not even Vash, can run from memory or escape from their past.

"Aww, is the poor wounded hero crying?" whines a voice from behind. "Just hold still hot shot and I'll make it all better." Vash spins around to find a tall dark haired man silhouetted against the sun. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" He spits. "Who..who are you?" stammers Vash. Smiling widely He replies "Malcolm's the name and I'm your bad day."

On the other side of town, a train pulls into the station bringing with it a thin young man dressed in black with his own cross to bare.

"C'mon, fight back already! Surely the Disaster himself can put up a better fight!" The gunshots roar across the cemetery shattering headstones and perforating tombs. "If you don't make this more interesting I won't want to play anymore!" "What do you want!" screams Vash, as he runs between the graves, desperate to escape this newfound enemy. Quickly ducking behind one of the desecrated monuments, Vash reloads and prepares to go on the offensive.

With gunshots ringing out from the cemetery, the people of New July run for cover leaving the town center nearly deserted. Through drawn shades and closed blinds frightened eyes watch as a lone man walks silently down the road carrying salvation, or at the very least judgment.

What was once a resting place for the dearly departed now stands as a battlefield riddled with bullets, sprayed with blood, and covered by smoke. The fog of war covers everything, revealing only the shadowed forms of two warriors as they battle amidst the graves. "What do you want," screams Vash " Answer me!" Suprisingly he is met with only silence, and quickly he realizes that he can no longer make out Malcolm's shape amidst the smoke. "What's the matter Vash, going blind are we? Must be the old age kicking in, here I'll make it easier for you" A shot rings out as a bullet carves its path through the smoke.

The gate to the cemetery swings freely now as the mysterious man walks calmly through. He smells the gunpowder and sees the smoke. He hears the shots and quickens his pace, " What a mess."

Frustrated and tired, Vash kneels behind a gravestone as he takes a moment to reload his gun and his mind. "_Where is he?" _"Oh come on, don't tell me you're giving up?" sighs Malcolm from somewhere in the fog, "Very well, we'll end this now." Vash leaps out of the way as another gunshot tears into the gravestone next to him, only to find himself at Malcolm's feet. "Hello there." smiles Malcolm as his foot sends Vash reeling down a shallow hill. Malcolm meets him at the bottom stepping on his left arm while kicking away his gun. "You know, I was only supposed to assess your abilities but if this is all the fight you've got in you I might as well end you now." Saying this, Malcolm lowers his gun into Vash's face and pulls the hammer back. "Oh, the others will be angry with me I'm sure, but what's the point if you're not going to be any fu..." A shot rings out from the smoke and Malcolm flies back onto the ground. "Who...who." Another shot and all is silent.

A soft wind blows and the smoke finally begins to clear. Vash leans on his elbow and stares as the fog rolls back revealing an eerily familiar figure. Lighting a cigarette he lowers the cross he carries, smoke still flowing from the end.

"...Wolfwood?"


End file.
